Trending

Advertisement

Indoor ice arena approved in Poway

Share

A youth hockey coach’s search for practice ice time for his players culminated Tuesday night with the City Council council unanimously approving plans for a indoor arena in the business park.

Nish Mehta, head of Hattrick Ice, Inc. will convert part of a 114,00-square-foot warehouse at 12455 Kerran St. into a fully-equipped ice skating center that will serve the public, the amateur ice skating community and the Anaheim Ducks of the National Hockey League as the training facility for the new San Diego Gulls, the team’s top minor league hockey affiliate.

The $4 million arena should be completed by late summer, Mehta said. Submitted plans include an NHL-sized ice rink, upstairs offices and locker room for the Gulls, snack bar, box office, pro shop, skate rental area and party room. Parking for 198 vehicles, plus another 26 spaces behind a fence for the team, is proposed.

The arena will be open to the public on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

Mehta told the council he coaches two youth teams and was having a hard time finding practice time at established rinks. During his search he learned that the Ducks were planning on moving their top minor league team from Virginia to San Diego and were looking for a place to base and train the team. He said he was pleased to build in Poway since many of his players, along with several coaches of amateur skaters, live in town. The relocation of the minor league team will mean that between 50-60 families will be looking for homes on the Poway area, he said.

The plans were praised by several members of the council.

“This community yearns for things for teens to do on weekends,” Councilman Jim Cunningham said.

In other matters, the council

• Approved a proposal to have the city refund (refinance) four outstanding tax allocation bonds amounting to about $198.3 million that were issued by the now-defunct redevelopment agency. Due to current low interest rates, an estimated $28.2 million in interest payments can be saved by refunding, according to Scott Edwards, the director of administrative services. The city’s portion of that savings is about $5.8 million, he said. The new bonds will be paid off by 2033 and will be callable after 10 years.

• Asked city staff to prepare a report on the costs associated with the operation of the Poway Center for the Performing Arts and the fees charged by the city for use of the center. Fees have not been raised since 2007. This year the city’s general fund is subsidizing the center to the tune of $709,530.

• Approved a minor conditional use permit allowing the construction of minister’s quarters and an office/classroom onto the existing building at 14239 Garden Road used by the English Poway Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

• Appointed Councilman Barry Leonard to join Mayor Steve Vaus on a new Economic Development Sub-Committee.

Advertisement